Can iBeacons Be Used To Help People Navigate in Museums, Airports, Malls?

For those of you that have not heard of iBeacons they are the next big thing in technology and specifically in the Internet of things.

An iBeacon is actually a protocol developed by Apple but is also the term used to describe lots of iBeacon compatible devices that have been developed by different manufacturers. The idea of these iBeacons is to allow interaction from near by smart phones and other devices through close range connectivity mediums such as Bluetooth.

iBeacons and the technology surrounding them can be particularly useful for the purposes of navigation and specifically indoor navigation where traditional systems such as GPS are not suitable.

A great example of how iBeacons could be used would be in a shopping mall – each shop in the mall could have an iBeacon fitted and shoppers could then use their smartphones to navigate the mall. It brings a new level of interaction to navigation – shops can actually push out messages to near by shoppers. This is great for advertising but also greater for the shopper because it enhances their experience and makes the mall far easier to navigate.

iBeacons can be thought of similar to cookies in the real world and would allow a level of interaction between shops and shoppers that would allow retailers to personalize the experience of their customers.

iBeacons can also be used for navigating through museums as well as for use within airports and other busy areas where the task of finding your way around the building is critical.

It is likely that this technology will blossom over the coming months and will become closely integrated with the Internet of Things.